Marlin Hammer, 73, died Sunday, September 28, 2008 at Altru Hospital, Grand Forks, ND.

Funeral service will be 11 AM, Thursday, October 2, 2008 at Zion Lutheran Church, Oklee, MN with Reverend Robert Paulson officiating. Burial will be at Clearwater Lutheran Cemetery, rural Oklee, MN.

Visitation will be 5 " 8 PM, Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at Johnson Funeral Service, Oklee, MN with a 7 PM prayer service and for one hour prior to the service at the church, Thursday.


Marlin Edwin Hammer was born April 8, 1935 at Minot, ND, the son of Edwin and Gladys (Olson) Hammer. The family moved to the Oklee area in 1940 and Marlin attended country school in rural Oklee.

He was a member of the Army National Guard and was called to active duty in 1958, stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. Marlin was honorably discharged in 1961.

On July 3, 1965, Marlin was united in marriage to Anne Fournier at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Oklee, where they made their home and raised their four children. He worked as a self employed truck driver his whole life. He started with a pickup truck, hauling for neighboring farmers. He bought a bigger truck and hauled for the Oklee Lumber Yard. Later he owned and operated a gravel trucking business hauling gravel in the local area. He finished his career hauling grain from elevators to Duluth. Marlin retired in 1994 after 40 plus years of trucking.

Marlin enjoyed camping with his family when his children were younger and also riding snowmobiles. In his later life he collected model cars and trucks, attending Rollag functions and enjoyed his dog, Penny.

He is survived by wife, Anne Hammer, Oklee; 4 children: Jeanine (Benjamin) Metzdorff, Minneapolis, MN, Shelly (Rob) Burkel, Thief River Falls, MN, Lynn (Brian) Erickson, Warroad, MN and Chad Hammer, Corpus Christi, TX 14 grandchildren: Peter, Augustine, Cecelia, Isaiah, Joseph, Noah, Abigail, Bridget, Luke, Zachary, Brody, Kayla, Jenna and Jacob; sisters: Shirley (Bloyd) Ness, Gonvick, MN, Erma (Dwayne) Murray, Surprise, AZ; along with several nieces and nephews.

Marlin is preceded in death by his parents.


ORGANIST: Donna Fossum
SOLOIST: Marion Marquis
SELECTIONS:
CONGREGATIONAL HYMNS:
CASKETBEARERS: Kenneth Parsley, Bob Bernier, Oren Syrtveit, Gene Burkel, Travis Ness and Bloyd Ness